


Ghosts of Wild Cards Past

by Pegistar5



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Redemption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anime Names, Character Death in like the first paragraph but, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-generational Crossover, Crossover, Gen, Ghosts, Not Really Character Death, Wild Card (Persona Series), Wild Card Interactions, because ghosts, or at least a more sympathetic view of him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25795372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pegistar5/pseuds/Pegistar5
Summary: On his way to Tokyo, Yu Narukami is killed in a train wreck. This is not an accident. Meanwhile, Makoto Yuki finds that he’s become a ghost—and he's inexplicably tied to Ren Amamiya, the newest Wild Card.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Persona 4 Protagonist, Male Persona 3 Protagonist & Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 11
Kudos: 62





	1. First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Spirit Among Phantoms](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/664003) by Otaku553. 



> So, uh  
> I got obsessed with Persona? Whoops  
> Don't expect frequent updates  
> Especially when school is starting in less than a week XD  
> I wanted to try finishing the second chapter before posting this, but I've had this draft for nearly a month now, so _shrugs_

First was the unease. The vague sense that the train was moving just a little too fast, the floor beneath his feet just a little too unsteady, the tug in his stomach just a little too strong. He shifted on his feet and tried to ignore the feeling of speeding up, even beyond what he was used to with his frequent train trips. 

Next was the screeching. It started small at first, a faint hissing beneath the floor, but grew, louder and louder, higher in pitch and intensity, until it was ringing in his ears, like the harsh, grating noise of metal against metal. 

No, not like. _Was_. 

The train lurched. Screams erupted around him. He seized a chair, a hand rest, _anything_ to keep him on his feet. His stomach leapt to his throat. Something was wrong. Not even a minute into Tokyo, and now this—What was going on? 

He swallowed a scream, his heart pounding in his ears, mixing with the cacophony and chaos around him. Think, _think_. What could he do? Why was the train going so fast? The conductor? A mechanical problem? Whatever it was, could he really just stand here and wait for whatever was coming—? 

The front of the car flipped up. Metal shrieked and bent. 

He was thrown off his feet, hands wrenched from their grips. Jagged blades came down on him, and then— 

Searing pain. 

* * *

Sunlight burned his eyes. He squeezed them shut and waited for the glare to dim before cracking them open again. 

He was at a train station. A Tokyo train station—with the massive glut of people, it couldn’t have been anywhere but Tokyo. But… how did he get here? The last thing he remembered was— 

_The blades came down on him like a guillotine, and then the pain, the_ pain _, it blazed in his chest, spreading to the rest of his body, and it hurt so much_ — 

He gasped and raised a hand to grip his chest. 

His hand was transparent. 

He stared at it for a long moment, face going blank with surprise. This was… not impossible, actually, not with Personas and Shadows and going into TVs, but still highly unexpected. 

_I’m transparent._ Bile rose in his throat. He knew what this likely meant. _I’m dead?_

It made sense. With his last memories being the lurch of the train and the excruciating pain, it was the only logical conclusion. Especially since he wasn’t currently in a hospital recovering from injuries the crash should have given him. 

Still, _dead_ … 

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heartbeat. Focus on the facts. The train had crashed, and he had somehow ended up here. What else did he know? What else could he find out? 

“Excuse me?” he called out. No one responded. He waved a hand in front of a passerby, and the passerby walked past—walked _through_ it—without a single glance or twitch in his expression. 

He exhaled. Invisible, intangible, and probably inaudible. 

He took a step forward and paused. He… couldn’t feel the ground below him. There was a phantom sensation of pressure, but it wasn’t complete, not quite like how it was when he was still… well. 

He kneeled and pressed a hand against the floor. After a moment, he pushed harder. 

His hand passed through the floor with a weightless, floaty sensation. It was comparable to sliding into a TV screen, but… not quite. Almost, but not quite. 

He had a feeling that would apply to a lot of things in his new… continued existence. 

He shook his head and straightened. So, he would likely be unable to interact with any objects or the world around him. 

He… couldn’t interact with the world around him. He couldn’t call his friends; he couldn’t even see them because they were all left in Inaba, and he couldn’t travel to Inaba because he was—he was— 

He was _dead_. 

The thought struck him like a physical blow, almost bowling him over and bringing him to his knees. He was never going back to Inaba. Oh sure, even though he couldn’t board a train, he _could_ theoretically walk—or float—all the way there. He had the time now. But it wouldn’t be the same. He would never go fishing at the Samegawa. He would never pet the cat in the street in front of the house. He would never visit the shrine to pray or draw a fortune. He would never go to Aiya’s, or try the Rainy Day Special. He would never spend time with his Social Links, asking them about their lives and catching up with them.

He would never speak with his friends again. 

Oh god, his _friends_. How were they going to react when they found out? Yosuke was the last person he texted—heck, the last person he’d talked to. What had he even said? What had been… his last words? 

And what about Dojima? What about _Nanako_? She had already lost her mother; she was going to be _devastated_. And he couldn’t even comfort her, not anymore, not when she couldn’t feel him or see him or hear him. No one could. 

He was alone. 

He was _alone_. 

He staggered, his legs giving out from under him. His body—he didn’t have a real body, he was a ghost, he was _dead_ —drifted aimlessly in the air. 

He felt light. He felt faint. He felt like he was floating only because there was nothing left to anchor him. Gravity couldn’t ground him. No force on earth could even touch him. 

Because he was dead. Because he was— 

He shook his head sharply, violently. He needed to stop thinking about this. He needed to stop thinking. He needed, he needed— 

_A distraction_ , he thought, between one pounding echo of a heartbeat and another. _I need a distraction_. He scanned his surroundings, forcing his eyes to focus, trying to keep his attention from drawing back into his mind. 

An older teen strode across the platform, brown hair styled carefully to frame his face. His bangs brushed over his eyes, but couldn’t quite hide the sharpness in them. In his hands, covered in gloves a solid black, he clutched a phone. 

After some thought, Yu trailed after him. 

He didn’t know why. Maybe it was the way the teen eyed his phone, the carefully manufactured look on his face, the artificially relaxed body. Maybe it was something else: the draw of a new mystery, or some other unexplainable pull. Whatever it was, he drew close enough to catch sight of the red app with the creepy eye. 

It should have been nothing. On the surface, it was just an app—a strange-looking app, but still an app. It shouldn’t have piqued his interest or sent a strange jolt down his spine or made a familiar presence stir in the back of his mind, but that eye… 

It reminded him of Ameno-sagiri. 

He could never forget it. The giant, mechanical eyeball towering above them, the pupil angled down towards them. How the red haze of Magatsu Inaba had turned into the sickening yellow of the fog. 

Almost without any conscious input, his feet carried him after the teen. Once he realized, he ducked and weaved between people so he wouldn’t be spotted. The people didn’t pay him any mind, even when his arm clipped through someone. 

Oh, wait. He was… 

He boxed up the thought neatly, then shoved it in a corner. He couldn’t be seen, and he couldn’t be heard either. That was all that was important. 

He followed directly after the teen, cutting a straight path through—sometimes literally—the crowds. He still kept a few paces back; he didn’t want to literally be on top of the teen, or hover over him like some kind of stalker. 

Why _was_ he following him? It was just a suspicious app. An app that reminded him of his adventures with the TV World, yes, but still just an app. Otherwise, the teen was seemingly normal, any notable features or tells explained away as personal quirks. And the fact that the app reminded him of Ameno-sagiri, of the TV World, could simply be a strange coincidence. 

Still, he was curious. Why _did_ this app remind him of that? 

Well. It wasn’t as if there was anything better for him to do. And he was the leader of the _Investigation Team_. His friends… they wouldn’t let go of a mystery like this. He had to do them proud. 

He wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. If that meant following the teen around like some sort of—heh—ghost, then that was what he’d do. 

* * *

* * *

He opened his eyes. 

That wasn’t supposed to be possible. 

He was in a crowded, bustling city. Sunlight blazed down, gleaming off the buildings and searing his eyes. People stepped past him, stepped _through_ him, like he wasn’t really there. 

He brought his hands to his face. He could see the pavement through them. 

What happened? 

He knew he was dead. At least, he was supposed to be. He died on Gekkoukan’s roof, graduation day. After that, vague, hazy memories of being the Great Seal. He thought he saw Elizabeth. Maybe Ryoji too, even though he was supposed to be gone, even though he was supposed to be a part of Nyx. 

A distant ache, just below his lungs. 

He shook his head. That was nothing new. Just something that he’d learned to ignore. Tried to ignore. Even when it seemed impossible. 

_Erebus…_

What _was_ new was the faint pull in his chest. He hadn’t felt this specific pull before, not when he was alive or as the Great Seal. It almost felt like a Social Link. But that was impossible. If this was a new Link, he’d know, right? And he could still feel all his old Social Links wrapped around him, holding him together. 

Where were they? How long had it been? 

The strange pull was getting closer. He turned towards that pull. 

His eyes caught on a boy. Thick black hair. Sharp gray eyes. Glasses. Around his age. Taking in the sights, looking a little overwhelmed. He looked down at his phone, frowned, and tapped it. 

A burst of energy shot through him. Every muscle in his body locked up. That energy was achingly familiar. 

_Persona._

The world slowed to a stop. The boy startled and carefully looked around. 

Blue flames erupted in the distance. They formed into a humanoid figure, with blazing yellow eyes and a demonic smile. 

It looked like the boy. 

He blinked, and the figure was gone. The crowds around him were moving again. He glanced at the boy. 

The boy erased any hint of surprise on his face and frowned at his phone. He dragged a finger across the screen, then set off. 

Well. Might as well follow him. 

* * *

A train. An unanswered doorbell. A cafe. 

Sojiro Sakura was a gruff man, was apparently the boy’s temporary guardian, and put the boy in a cluttered, dusty attic. The boy had a criminal record, was expelled from his high school, and was on probation for the year. 

What kind of situation had he stumbled on? 

As far as he could tell, the boy hadn’t done anything wrong. He was protecting someone. He could understand that. Even now, the boy was cleaning the attic and making it liveable without complaint. 

Now would be a good time to test some things. He didn’t know why he was here with the boy. But the pull in his chest… It had to mean _something_. 

First, could he hear him? 

“Hey.”

The boy jumped and brandished the feather duster in his hand. “Who’s there?” 

He _could_. “Makoto Yuki. You?”

“Where are you?” he hissed. “What are you?” 

Rude. He didn’t answer the question. “I’m standing right here.” At least that answered if the boy could see him. “And I think I’m a ghost.” 

“You _think_?” the boy muttered. His eyes still darted around the room, but he’d resumed cleaning. “So what, you have some unresolved business or something?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“How do you _not know_?” 

Probably better not to delve into that yet. The boy didn’t know anything about Personas or Shadows… although he did encounter _something_. “You can probably talk to me with your mind.” 

“What?”

“I get the feeling you’re the only one who can hear me. So.”

“I’m going crazy,” he muttered. _“You want me to talk with my mind? Like this?”_

“Yes. Name?” 

_“Why do you want my name?”_

“I can keep calling you ‘the boy,’” he drawled. 

_“...Ren Amamiya.”_

“Amamiya-san.” 

The boy made a face. His shoulders rode up. _“Just call me Ren.”_

His eyebrow rose. Interesting reaction… He shook the thought away. “Then you can call me Makoto.” It wasn’t like anyone else could. 

_“Are you sure…? I can’t—shouldn’t—”_ He shook his head. _“How old are you?”_

“Seventeen… maybe. What year is it?” 

_“2016.”_

His breath caught. Six… Six years. Six _years_. That meant… all his friends… 

They’d probably moved on by now. At least, he hoped they did. Six _years_ … 

Ken would be in high school. Ken would be a senior. Ken would be his age or _older_. 

_“Hey, you okay? You got kind of quiet.”_

He blinked, a little taken aback. “I’m fine.” A pause. “Thanks.” 

The pull in his chest hummed. So it _was_ a new Link… or something close enough. Maybe not a proper Link, but still a bond. 

It felt nice. Ren was nice. 

_“Tell me about yourself?”_ Ren chuckled. _“I mean, it’s not like there’s anything else I can do… Ah, only if you’re okay with it though.”_

He settled against a wall, out of the way. “I like music.” His hands instinctively went to the MP3 hanging from his… Huh. “I still have my MP3.” 

Ren frowned. _“Really? But aren’t you… you know, dead?”_

“Apparently. And yes.” His hands went higher. “Still have my headphones too.” Then again, he’d died with them on… He blinked the thought away. “I went to Gekkoukan High, Tatsumi Port Island.” 

_“The artificial island?”_

He nodded, then remembered he had to speak. “Yes.” 

Ren shoved a cardboard box into a shelf, with more force than necessary. Questions burned in his eyes, only barely hidden by his glasses. 

“You can ask.” 

Ren stiffened. _“I didn’t—I don’t—”_

“If I don’t want to answer, I’ll tell you.” 

Ren exhaled. _“If you say so…”_ He hauled some junk to a different corner of the room. _“...Why are you here?”_

He thought he would ask about his death. Maybe Ren thought that was too sensitive… “What do you mean?”

_“You’re a ghost, right? I mean, I can’t even see you. Is there… some reason for that?”_

“I don’t know.” 

Ren narrowed his eyes at nothing, clearly skeptical. 

“Really.” He was supposed to be part of the Great Seal. He wasn’t supposed to be here, and yet… 

_“Do you… have any regrets, then?”_

He… did. It would be a lie to say that he didn’t, but… “I don’t regret dying.” He regretted that it had to happen, that he couldn’t spend more time with his friends… but if he had the choice, he would do it again. “I don’t think I have any regrets strong enough to pull me back from where I’m supposed to be.” 

_“Are you sure?”_

Wow, he was pushy. “Why are you so interested?”

Ren stilled. _“Is that a problem?”_

He shook his head. He… clearly touched a nerve. “Just curious.”

Ren continued cleaning. His movements were stiff, almost jerky. _“What are you going to do if I don’t stop? Haunt me? Oh wait, you’re already doing that.”_

“Ren, it’s okay.” 

He faltered. Shook his head. Violently shoved files under a desk. 

“I’m already dead.” He stifled the twinge in his chest. “I’m a stranger to you. There’s no reason for you to help me. So… why?” Why was he so interested? Why was he so invested? Why did he _care_? 

Ren smirked. It looked strained. _“I’m a knight in shining armor, I guess. I can’t help but try to help.”_ He slumped. _“Besides, I…”_ A hand reached up and tugged on his bangs. 

He watched him. He didn’t know him well, but… 

Sojiro’s warnings. The probation. The incident that led him here to begin with. 

_“Cause any problems, and you’ll be sent straight to juvie.”_

He thought he could understand. 

“I think you did the right thing.”

Ren startled. _“How…?”_

“I heard from Sakura-san.” He moved to face him, knowing that it wouldn’t do anything but wanting to do it anyway. “You did the right thing.” 

Ren needed a supporter. Someone who approved of his actions, who would be on his side. Someone who he didn’t have to walk eggshells around, careful not to make one wrong move. Someone who would believe in him. 

He could be that someone. He _was_ a Wild Card. He had many Personas, many masks, many ways to face the world. Why not him? 

He had this bond for a reason. 

Ren ducked his head. _“I still have a criminal record.”_ He tugged harshly on his hair. _“Do you… Do you really not mind?”_

He huffed. “There are very few things I care about.” How many times had he responded with a simple _I don’t care_? How many times had he let others drag him into their plans? “And besides, I’m… well, dead.” 

Ren snorted. His shoulders relaxed. _“Okay, yeah, I guess I can see how you’d let a lot of things slide. Or hear, anyway. You kind of have that voice.”_

“Voice?” 

_“Really flat, really neutral.”_ A smile twisted his lips. _“I’m… a little jealous, actually. Is your face the same way?”_

“I’ve been told I have a… ‘resting blank face.’” 

_“Figures. Bet you don’t even need—”_ He shook his head. _“Nevermind.”_ His glasses glinted strangely, hiding his eyes. 

His eyes, his voice, his entire self… He was an expressive type. The exact opposite of him. It seemed like that was the problem. “Why?” 

_“What do you mean?”_

“Why are you jealous?” 

Ren grimaced. _“Probation, remember? I can’t stir up trouble, no matter what. It would be… easier… if I could blend in, be a normal high school student, if I wasn’t so…”_ He gestured to himself. _“Anyway, if I could be more like you, maybe it would be easier.”_

“Maybe. I think you’re fine.” Sometimes he wished he could be as expressive as Ren. Emote as easily as he did. 

Ren stared at him, then shook his head. _“Back on topic. If we’re going to figure this out, you’re going to have to explain some things.”_

He frowned. An obvious topic change, but he’d let it slide. Now, how to explain without mentioning Personas, or Shadows, or Nyx, or anything…? “My situation is… different from what normally happens. When I died, I was supposed to go somewhere. I was supposed to stay there.”

_“How’s that working out for you?”_

His lips twitched. “That’s why this is strange. I shouldn’t be here. Not without consequences.” 

_“What kind of consequences?”_

“None of us would be here.” 

Ren paused. _“...So, really bad things.”_

A noncommittal hum. He was… going to be doing a lot of that, huh. 

_“Is there anything else you can tell me?”_ Ren pressed. 

He could tell him about the Fall, the Great Seal, Nyx, Erebus. But Ren likely wouldn’t believe him. Ghosts was one thing. The end of the world was another. “Not really.” 

_“You’re… not really giving me a lot to work with.”_

He sighed. “I’m not sure there’s anything you can do. Given the circumstances.” 

Ren narrowed his eyes. _“There’s_ always _something.”_ Determination dripped from his tone. 

He smiled. He couldn’t argue with that, not with his own experiences. “It’s complicated,” he said instead. “I’m not sure you’d believe me.” 

_“I’m chatting with a talking voice in my head that claims to be a ghost,”_ Ren’s voice was almost as dry as his. _“Using some sort of telepathy, no less. I think I can suspend my disbelief hard enough for whatever crazy story you come up with.”_

It was one thing to say it, but if he was willing… After some thought, he shook his head. “Not yet. Soon. But not yet.” 

_“How soon is ‘soon’?”_

“You’ll see.” 

_“That’s… vague.”_

Another noncommittal hum, but his smile grew. 

Ren sighed. _“You… Are you okay with this?”_ He waved a hand. _“Being a ghost, I mean. You, uh, you don’t really sound concerned about it.”_

He shrugged. Maybe it hadn’t hit him yet, not fully. But he could still feel his bonds. He wasn’t alone. As long as he could still feel his bonds, he wasn’t alone. That was the most important part. And… “I have you.” 

Ren blinked. Stared at the floor. 

“I mean it,” he said, when Ren was a beat too quiet even for him. “I have you. I think I’ll be okay.” 

“Uh.” Ren ducked his head. “Okay then.” A small, shy smile played on his face. He hastily shoved the last bits of junk behind the stairs and dusted off his hands. 

His chest warmed. If he focused, he could almost feel their bond hum… but no, not a rank up. Not yet. Not as clearly, sharply defined. Just… potential. 

Ren returned to the center of the room, slowly rotating his gaze around. Most of the dust, cobwebs, and clutter was gone. The rest was organized to leave breathing space in the middle. The room seemed actually livable now. A few motes of dust caught in the light and sparkled in the air. 

“Impressive.” 

_“There’s still so much dust,”_ Ren grumbled. _“_ So _much dust._ Why _is there still so much dust?”_

“Like things neat?” 

Ren’s mouth curved up. _“I’m not as bad as some people. There was this one guy in tow—uh, from where I’m from…”_

Footsteps from the stairs. 

Ren stiffened, stuffed his hands in his pockets, schooled his face, and turned. 

Sojiro came up and raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t think you were cleaning.” 

Ren’s expression barely changed. But the tense eyes, the tiny frown, the hunched shoulders… 

No, they had already been there, they were just more pronounced now. 

“Why don’t you go to bed for tonight?” Sojiro continued. “You probably don’t have anything better to be doing, right? I’m not going to look after you if you get sick from staying up too late.” 

Ren gave a small nod, and Sojiro left. Ren’s eyes followed him to the staircase, then lingered there. His lips screwed together as time passed, tighter, tighter. 

He recognized that look. Ren’s thoughts were spiraling. Someone had to snap him out of it. And… he was the only one here. The only one who could notice. 

Well, he had a bond with him. That had to mean something. But more than that… he didn’t want to leave him like this. 

“He’s kind of harsh.” 

Ren startled, then scowled. _“Of course he is.”_ He made his way to the bed, then paused. _“I didn’t… I’m not accidentally walking through you, am I?”_

He shook his head. Paused. Realized that Ren couldn’t see him. “No.” 

_“Okay… Do you want the bed…?”_

He shrugged. “You can take it.” It didn’t really matter if he had a ‘proper’ bed. 

_“Right…”_ Ren laid down, fiddled with his phone with a frown, and closed his eyes. 

Makoto watched him until his breath evened out. Then, he floated over to the couch and fell asleep. 

Or tried. It was more dozing than actually sleeping. He was still vaguely aware of himself, his bonds, that distant ache, but he wasn’t fully conscious. He was in a trance, disconnected from the world. Time passed. He couldn’t tell how long, but he knew time passed. 

The pull _vanished_. 

He jerked out of his half-asleep state and flew to Ren’s side. Gently, he pressed a hand to Ren’s chest. He was still there. Still breathing. Still had a pulse. 

So why could he not feel that pull? 

The pull shouldn’t have disappeared. Couldn’t have. It was impossible. 

Bonds didn’t just _disappear_. Bonds could—could twist, fracture, or even break—but they couldn’t stop existing. They might hurt or ache, but they were always there. 

But Ren’s… wasn’t. Somehow. 

It was probably Persona-related. Or Shadow-related. Bonds were a Wild Card thing, a Persona thing. Only a related cause could make it disappear. Maybe it could be fixed with a Persona. If he summoned one— 

Actually, _could_ he summon? 

He focused. A faint, familiar presence in the back of his mind. Orpheus Telos. But the others… He couldn’t sense them. Not even Messiah—and Messiah was _his_ , like Orpheus, like Orpheus Telos, and unlike the others. 

Either way, Orpheus Telos’ power was too weak. He couldn’t summon. And he had no Evoker. 

This _was_ the real world. The normal world. With no Dark Hour. He should’ve expected this. 

Except he was a ghost. Somehow. With a strange new bond. That _disappeared_. 

He frowned at Ren’s chest, gently rising and falling, like nothing was wrong. He hoped this was nothing. He hoped that this would fix itself, somehow. Because… he didn’t know what to do. There was _nothing_ he could do. 

He cast one last look over Ren, drifted back to the couch, and fell back into his trance.


	2. Metaverse

The bond was back when he woke up. Normal. He spent the next morning with a close eye on Ren. He seemed fine—a little tense, a little thoughtful, a little quiet… but that was understandable. He left the attic in his school uniform, hands in pockets, glasses reflecting the light. 

Sojiro glanced up. “Looks like you’re awake. The school you’re attending is in the Aoyama district. The route transfers are a pain, so I’ll drive you there, but just for today.” A plate of curry sat on the counter. 

Ren stared at it uncertainly, then transferred that gaze to Sojiro. 

“What’s that reaction for? Just eat it. Cafe might be closed right now, but in the future, I want you to finish it before the customers start coming in.” 

Ren hesitantly sat down and started eating. At the first bite, his eyes widened. He began eating faster. 

Makoto wished he could taste it for himself, but… “Taste good?” 

Ren startled. _“You’re still here?”_

“Yes…?” 

“Something wrong?” Sojiro asked. 

“Nothing… Just thought I heard something.” 

Sojiro eyed him. “Right… Well, just don’t take too long.”

Ren finished his plate silently and stood. Sojiro swiped the plate from him and put it in the sink. With Sojiro’s back turned, Ren swallowed. _“You’re… really real.”_

Oh. _Oh_. “I am.” 

Ren let out a slow, silent breath. _“I… Good. That’s good.”_

“What happened?” he asked in his most open, non-judgemental tone. “You readily believed that my voice was real yesterday.” So what had changed? 

Ren sighed. _“I thought it was impossible for me to hallucinate or dream up a voice with its own name and personality, but then I had this crazy dream about—”_

At the door, Sojiro barked at Ren to hurry up. Ren startled and rushed after him. 

Makoto followed more leisurely. A dream… He needed to ask Ren about it later. It might’ve been related to why the bond disappeared. 

* * *

* * *

The teen was back at the subway again. It wasn’t unusual, until he ducked behind a pillar and tapped his phone. 

The world warped. Red ripples spread across his vision. Yu blinked and found himself in a red-tinted, distorted version of the subway, red vines—which looked alarmingly more like veins—growing on the walls and corners. The faintest hint of dust coated the floor. When he breathed in, he could taste the oppressive atmosphere, sourness and bitterness caked in artificial sweetness, then rolled in dust or mildew for good measure. There was a slight pressure on his shoulders, as if the air itself had eyes watching his every move. 

This place was strangely familiar, but _off_. It felt like the color blue, or the buzz of lightning, or the hum of tarot cards. It felt like the faint hissing of static, with a muffled haziness. 

Like TV static… and fog. 

The teen, now in a full-body dark suit and a black mask, headed deeper, pink ripples spreading beneath his feet. His eyes were half hidden behind red glass, but he was used to looking through his teammates’ glasses to discern their lines of sight, so he could see the way the teen’s eyes raked over the surroundings. 

He was hunting for something. A Shadow? 

The teen came to a swirling portal that sucked in the subway tracks, reminiscent of the ones in the TV World at the start of a Dungeon. The teen leaped into the portal.

He followed and landed in a dark, enclosed room. The only light came from the red web-like designs on the floor. A Shadow waited at the end—a humanoid Shadow wearing a business suit. It looked… human. Not just humanoid—it looked _human_. It looked almost completely normal, except for the yellow eyes. 

The teen tore off his mask. Blue flames burst around him. “ **Loki**! Call of Chaos!” 

Blood-red energy infected the Shadow, turning it darker and making its eyes blaze an even brighter yellow. The teen swiftly left the scene. 

Yu was left to stare at the Shadow writhing and clawing at the floor. It still looked human, but its face was contorted in a scream. The shrill sound bounced off the walls. 

He turned on his heel and left the room. He couldn’t take any more of this. He couldn’t stand to stay any longer. He couldn’t… 

Think. A distraction. 

This had to be significant. This had to have some purpose. What did it do? For all he knew, this new Shadow world was localized to Tokyo like the TV World was to Inaba, so… 

His eyes widened. Of course. The recent incidents: the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. Naoto had looked into them, but couldn’t investigate due to her inability to enter Tokyo. He remembered thinking that they were suspicious, that there was a possibility of it being connected to Shadows somehow, but Teddie had reported no change in the TV World, so he let it be. To think it really was caused by Shadow-related activity… 

He had to stop this. He had to do something. The Investigation Team wouldn’t let this stand. _He_ couldn’t let this stand. 

But… he was _dead_. What could he do? He couldn’t turn him into the police, couldn’t prompt an investigation, couldn’t do anything. He was… 

_Alone_. 

He wished they were here. Yosuke and Chie and Yukiko and Kanji and Rise and Naoto. Their strength, their wit, and their energy… They would know what to do. At the very least, they would help him stop feeling so useless, so helpless, so… 

He sighed. He had to be here for a reason, right? And he had resolved to get to the bottom of this mystery. That meant seeing it through to the end. Even… Even like this. He could at least keep an eye on the teen. Even if that was all he could do, he had to do something. 

He scanned the twisting hallways for the teen, cursing himself for not paying more attention. This place looked like a labyrinth, like the Dungeons from the TV World; if he lost him, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to find him again. 

He turned the corner, and there was the teen. He gave a mental sigh of relief, until he caught sight of movement. 

A Shadow lurked in the dim light, masks covering its upper body—not human, but still vaguely humanoid in shape and much more humanoid than most of the generic Shadows of the TV World. It was still far enough away that the teen hadn’t noticed it, but it was drifting closer. 

He hesitated. The Shadows in this area didn’t appear particularly strong, but he had no way to know for certain, and all Shadows—even weak ones—had the potential to be dangerous. He also didn’t know the teen’s power level, especially how it matched up to the Shadows in this area. The teen seemed strong enough, if he was travelling alone with the ease of someone well accustomed to the area. Chances were the teen would notice the Shadow eventually, but… the Shadow was approaching from what he knew to be a blind spot. 

He didn’t _need_ to step in. He wasn’t even sure if he should. With what he’d seen, the teen was the most likely cause of the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. 

But still—still— 

He charged at the Shadow. A sword formed in his hands. He instinctively brought it down. 

The Shadow was split in two. 

The teen spun with a curse. He swung out with his own sword. 

He ducked on instinct. The sword swiped through the air where his neck used to be. He felt a chill run down his spine. That aim was uncanny. Could he see him? 

The teen scowled and stabbed the Shadow. The Shadow disintegrated. He cast a lingering, wary eye on the surroundings. “Show yourself,” he hissed. 

Despite himself, a part of him wilted. So he couldn’t see him. And he’d already established that he couldn’t be heard or felt either, so there was no way for them to communicate. 

Did he even want to try? Did he even want to risk it? Communication would mean revealing his existence as a ghost. Right now, the teen didn’t even know he was there. He could simply lurk and eavesdrop until he figured out a way to stop him. 

Then again, there wasn’t much to risk; he was already dead. And communication would help him gather information. Not just on methods—those, he could figure out through observation—but on more subjective matters as well. Motive, for one. He knew there were people out there who killed and hurt others simply because they wanted to, but he couldn’t assume this was the case. He had to reach out to the truth—the truth of who the teen was. What was his motive? Were others involved? Was some supernatural entity meddling with the world again? 

...The last one happened a lot more than people might expect. 

Still, communication could only help. Besides… it felt dishonest to lurk around him and spy on his daily life. 

There was still the problem of how to communicate. But he could fight those Shadows. Maybe… Maybe… 

He reached out and grasped the teen’s hand. 

The teen lurched away. “Who’s there?!” 

“Yu Narukami.” His voice bubbled out of his throat before he could stop it. “Can you hear me?” 

“I _said_ , who are you?” 

That was a no. He tried to shove the disappointment away. Focus. How else could he communicate? Since the teen had felt him, and he fought those Shadows, that meant he could touch things in this place, right? 

He kneeled down and started to write his name in the thin layer of dust on the floor. He got through his first name, then paused. Did he really want an unknown individual—a possible enemy—to know his name? 

The teen stalked over. “So your name is Yu.” He shot a glare in his direction—which was surprisingly accurate; he could feel the vitriol. “How did you get here?”

 _I followed you_ , he wrote. 

“ _Followed_ —?” His grip on his sword tightened. “Why?” 

It was better to be honest, right? He wasn’t sure if he could be hurt in this place, but since he could touch others and fight Shadows… Just in case, he didn’t want to test it. And the teen was looking more and more ready for a fight. 

_I’m dead_ , he scrawled. _You’re interesting._ He hesitated, then added, _I want to keep an eye on you._

The teen bristled. “For what reason?” 

_Curiosity_. It was the truth, or at least part of it. 

“I highly doubt _curiosity_ is enough to follow me, a relative stranger, into an alternate reality. Moreover, you dispatched those Shadows _far_ too easily, even as weak as they were.” 

How much did he want to tell him? 

_I have a Persona_. After some thought, he crossed out ‘ _have_ ’ and wrote ‘ _had_ ’ under it. _I haven’t summoned one in years._

“Why?” 

_Didn’t need to._ He hadn’t thought he needed to. After all, they’d defeated Izanami, Mikuratana-no-Kami, and Hi-no-Kagutsuchi. And after that, there weren’t any more supernatural, world-ending incidents… or so he’d thought. But with the existence of this place, teeming with Shadows… had he been wrong? 

First, he had to at least find out who this teen was. _Can I have your name?_

The teen scoffed. “Why would I give you my name?” 

One of his friends—Yosuke, Kanji, Rise, maybe even Chie—would have rolled their eyes. He only drew his brows together, face set in slightly more of a frown than it was before. _I need something to call you._

The helmet covered most of his face, but he could see his mouth was set in a decidedly unimpressed line. “Your intentions couldn’t be more transparent if you tried. I’m almost offended.” 

_Sorry…? It’s the polite thing to do._

The teen’s mouth flattened even more, which—wow, he didn’t even think that was possible. “Don’t be so condescending. You and I both know that’s not what I’m talking about.” 

He mentally sighed. He was trying to be courteous, and he truly did want to be on more amicable terms, but if he was going to insist… _What can I do with a name?_ He underlined the _I’m dead_ statement twice and added, _I can’t do anything_. 

A scowl etched on the teen’s face. “Well, I suppose you _did_ save me…” He was silent for a moment. “Fine then. You may call me Akechi.” 

Yu paused. Akechi? Why did that sound so familiar…? 

Akechi advanced, the sole of his shoe scuffing some of the words. “What do you intend to do here? Or are you going to keep following me around like a lost child?” 

He considered, and then, with deliberate carelessness, scrawled, _I’m twenty one. And older than you._

Akechi’s gaze sharpened. The weight of it, the intensity, honed in on him. “Congratulations,” he drawled in a dismissive tone, but his focus didn’t change. “You still followed me here. I would have thought that you would haunt people you actually knew, but I suppose you truly must not have anything better to do.” 

_I have friends and family. But they wouldn’t be able to see or hear me anyway._ At least, he highly doubted that they would. If not even Akechi, with a Persona and in another world, could perceive him… 

“So you’re going to follow me. For the rest of your afterlife.” 

He drew a checkmark. 

Akechi’s hand twitched on his sword. “Who do you think you are?” 

He underlined _Yu_ , and then _Persona_. 

Akechi growled. “Are your supposed friends as aggravating as you are?” 

_Sometimes. One of my friends got on the girls’ nerves easily when we were in high school._

Akechi settled slightly, but that intensity still ran through his body. His gaze—though still hidden—was as sharp as before, with an eager, almost hungry slant. 

He wasn’t dumb. He knew that Akechi had been provoking him to gain more information on him. Ever since that moment with his name, he had been carefully thinking through what he wanted to reveal. And he _did_ want to reveal things; he wanted to be as honest as possible to encourage Akechi to return the gesture. Communication would only help him learn the truth if they weren’t constantly, blatantly lying to each other. And though lies of omission weren’t much better… he _needed_ to take precautions. 

Simple, generic information was fine: birthdays, personal anecdotes, tidbits and trivia. But he would reveal nothing that could be used as identification, that could be used to track down himself or those he loved. Nothing that could endanger his friends and family. 

He refused to endanger them due to his own curiosity and machinations. 

“I have better things to do than to interrogate a dead man,” Akechi said. “Let’s make this quick. Answer me now or you _will_ suffer the consequences. What is your goal here?” 

He couldn’t dodge the question anymore, nor did he want to. He had no intention of staying here forever, dancing around the traps and pitfalls hidden in Akechi’s words. He wanted them to be on more even ground. _We both want the same thing. Why not give each other what we want?_

“I _said_ —” 

He drew a hasty scribble to stop him and continued. _I’m willing to answer your questions as long as you give me the same courtesy._

Akechi’s eyes narrowed. “What, _exactly_ , do you mean?” 

It looked like he needed to spell it out explicitly. _A question for a question. An answer for an answer. I’ll tell you the truth if you do the same._

“And how do I know that you aren’t lying?” 

_Trust._ At Akechi’s scoff, he elaborated. _We have to trust each other to tell the truth as we know it._

It was a gamble. The fact of the matter was, he _didn’t know_ if he could trust Akechi to keep his word. He’d like to believe that was the case, from what he’d observed, but he couldn’t be certain. 

Still, he had already trusted him with his existence. Why not take it a step further? 

Akechi stood still, staring at the words on the ground, not answering. Not agreeing… but not disagreeing either. 

He took a breath. Well. It seemed as though he needed to take that leap first. He could still stalk him in the real world, if it came down to it. _I want to find the truth. The truth behind why you did what you did to that Shadow and if there is more going on that we aren’t aware of._

“Fancy yourself a detective?” 

Something about that word seemed significant, especially with the slight emphasis that Akechi had placed on it, but he ignored it for now. _Persona users are rarely alone. There’s usually a force behind it, a reason why we were granted this power. I want to make sure this force isn’t going to cause us harm._

“Is that something to be particularly worried about?” 

_The supernatural entities I’ve encountered_ —excluding Teddie, Marie, and the residents of the Velvet Room— _have either been extremely misguided or actively malevolent. The entity that gave me the power to use my Persona was the former, but she tried to end the world by turning everyone into Shadows. I know of another entity who actively sought the world’s destruction, and manipulated another Persona user into helping it._

“Oh?” His voice had changed briefly, lighter and smoother, with a familiar inflection. “And here I thought you wouldn’t give away so much information.” 

He underlined _Trust_ , and then his terms. He was still expecting answers, of course; this _was_ supposed to be a mutually beneficial exchange. But he was willing to give this much. Evil or not, he wanted this new Persona user to understand that there was more going on behind the scenes, that there could be someone or something pulling the strings, that there was a force out there that could be influencing his life right now. If he wasn’t evil, if he was being manipulated like Sho, then he needed to know. If he was… If he was, then he still needed to know. No one should be taken advantage of, should have their life treated like a plaything of the powers above. Especially if they weren’t even aware it was a possibility. 

_That’s my truth_ , he wrote. _Will you give me yours?_

Akechi went silent, his lips creased in a contemplative frown. Yu let himself drift into his head, chasing the nagging feeling that he knew Akechi from somewhere. His name was familiar… but why? Where would he have heard about a teen, enough for his name to be familiar, enough for even his voice—when spoken in a certain way—to be familiar? If his voice was familiar, he must have at least heard him before—was he famous? And that strange emphasis on _detective_ … 

Wait… Oh. Now he felt dumb. This was _Goro Akechi_ , the second coming of the Detective Prince. The one he’d very briefly conversed about with Naoto and Rise, after he had started showing up on TV and gaining a little exposure. What was a renowned, respected public figure like him doing, skulking around in this Shadow world and possibly—almost certainly—causing the breakdowns and shutdowns? Not that he didn’t have some experience with this kind of situation; after all, Adachi… 

Akechi finally spoke. “How do I know that you aren’t one of these entities as well? You claim to be dead as if you once were alive, but you haven’t given me any identification other than your name.” 

If he wanted to be frank… _You are obviously a dangerous person. I do not trust you to leave my friends and family alone if I give you a lead._

“And here you talked about trusting me.” 

_I trust you to keep your word. I do not trust you to not involve my friends._

His lip curled up. “So you aren’t just a brainless fool.” 

Of course he wasn’t. He was part of the team who solved the Inaba murder mystery. But more than that, he was a Wild Card. He couldn’t afford to not think through his actions when his actions could potentially impact so many people he knew. Especially now, when he was dancing with danger in this manner. 

Akechi nodded to himself. His voice hardened. “Very well. I’ll accept your deal.” 

Glass shattered. 

_Thou art I… and I am thou…_

_Thou hast established a new bond…_

_It brings new mysteries that lead thee closer to the truth…_

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…_

Yu raised an eyebrow. A new Social Link? Not only that, but a new Social Link that he’d already had before? 

But wait—The incantation was different. It had been over four years ago, but—he _knew_ the incantation was different somehow. The first two lines were the same, but the third…? 

_New mysteries_. That was the different part. Before, it only said that the bond was bringing him closer to the truth. But now… 

A thin smile spread on his face. New mysteries, huh? The kid certainly was one. It seemed like he was only the start. And hopefully, now he would be getting some answers. 

“What do you wish to know? Make it quick; we don’t have much time.” 

He braced himself. Alright then, time to be blunt. _Was what you just did a psychotic breakdown or a mental shutdown?_

A thin smirk grew on Akechi’s face. “Yes.” 

Yu had mastered the art of the straight face a long time ago, so he very firmly did not groan. _I meant which one_. 

“A psychotic breakdown. It’s a power unique to me.” He cast a wary glance to the side. “We should go. It’s not wise to linger.” 

He frowned, but then he heard it—the sound of rattling chains. He tensed and followed after Akechi. He could get his answers later. The Reaper was not something to be messed with. 

Some heart-pounding moments later, they were back at the entrance. Akechi tapped his phone, and the world warped back into regular Tokyo subway scenery. 

Akechi cast his eyes around. “I don’t suppose you can give any sign that you’re here,” he muttered lowly. 

Yu tried to grab his shoulder. His hand phased through. He shook his head and belatedly remembered that he couldn’t be seen either. 

Akechi brought his phone to his ear and walked briskly through the open. “Perhaps we should meet up again later.” His voice was pitched higher and lighter—what he now knew to be his Detective Prince voice. “Would tomorrow at 6:30 suffice?” A fake pause. “Splendid.” 

Yu followed him to the end of the station, faintly exasperated and grudgingly impressed. He knew he couldn’t exactly give his input, but did Akechi really need to set the meeting time himself with that air of complete self-assurance? Still, he had to admit that he knew how to put on a convincing act. 

At the station’s edge, Akechi… hesitated. His eyes took on a strange, unreadable quality, and he lowered his voice to a murmur. “If you wish to know more, perhaps you should stay behind a little longer.” He turned on his heel and left. 

Yu’s eyes trailed after him, but he didn’t move, taking a moment to puzzle over those words and that strange look in his eyes. What could Akechi have meant by that?

A faint screeching from deep inside the tunnel. He stiffened. That sound was all too familiar. 

_Metal against metal, harsh and grating…_

A train barrelled through, tearing a line through the platform. Screams erupted as people dove away. Sparks flew from the rails. The train ground to a halt, each car piling on each other. Dust clouds bloomed, thick and choking, covering the wreckage—the wreckage he knew had to be there, with the grinding of brakes, the screech of metal, the flickering lights, the sharp edges coming down on him like a guillotine, the last thing he’d ever see— 

He took a sharp breath. Tucked the images away. Exhaled. 

The clouds had cleared some. The train cars were half-tilted and in an only vaguely straight line, but thankfully, it seemed like none of the walls had caved in or bent. Broken stone shards littered the area, the remains of the platform. Most of the people had made it clear, though some had some scrapes and bruises from escaping. He… didn’t know about the people inside. The doors were sealed shut, locking them away. 

He watched emergency services arrive on the scene. He watched rubble be shifted to the side. He watched the doors be pried open and people be pulled from the wreckage. Some were able to crawl out, pick themselves up, and walk away. Some weren’t; they had to be carried out on stretchers. 

The newly formed Social Link was a weight around his chest. He swallowed. 

_You caused this, didn’t you?_

* * *

* * *

“To reiterate, just so we’re clear, you will immediately be expelled if you cause any problems.” 

Makoto raised an eyebrow. Wow, the people at this school were hostile. They even complained about Ren to his face. If this was how it would be, he was glad he stuck with him. 

Sojiro got them out once the principal’s dismissive attitude started bothering even him. They returned to the cafe after slogging through traffic—something about a subway accident. Sojiro gave Ren a diary, got a call, warned him not to mess with the store, and left. 

Ren sagged, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. He got changed and laid in bed, fiddling with his phone. “Hey… did you do something to my phone?” 

“No.” He floated over. _“Why do you ask?”_

Ren showed him his phone, pointing to an app with a red eye. “This keeps showing up, even though I thought I deleted it… I thought it might be some weird ghost thing since it showed up around the same time you did.” 

“I don’t recognize it…” But it felt… familiar. Somehow. Orpheus Telos shifted in his soul. 

“Must be malware then.” Ren dragged the app to the trash and closed his eyes. 

He frowned. Orpheus Telos… It was almost like he took _interest_ in the app. Which meant the app couldn’t be normal. “Be prepared for tomorrow.” 

_“Sounds vaguely ominous. Why’s that?”_

“Just a feeling.” A pause. He weighed his words. “Don’t let them get to you. You’ll get through this.” 

_“...I hope so.”_

* * *

The next morning, he was roused by shuffling and the creaking of steps. Ren scarfed down breakfast—more curry—and went out the door. Makoto trailed after him. 

The train car was almost completely packed. Ren got on with a grimace, hugging his bag to his chest. Makoto drifted nearby, two people phasing through him. 

The train spat them out at a wide, bustling platform, multiple pathways branching out like a labyrinth. Ren stared blankly, clearly lost. _“Uh… Do you think you could help?”_

“Sorry. Iwatodai had a monorail.” It was nowhere near as complicated as Tokyo subway lines. And he didn’t remember much about the other places he’d lived. 

Ren clicked his tongue. “Worth a shot,” he muttered. 

Up the stairs, past the ticket gate, eavesdrop on an attendant for directions… 

Ren glared at the sign blocking the hallway. _“Cleaning? Really? Why does this have to be even more complicated?”_ A pause. He sighed, shuddering a little. _“Sorry. I’m… a little on edge.”_

“It’s fine.” Makoto glanced around, searching. “Take the stairs to the right. If you go around…” 

_“You mean, around the building? Find another entrance? Yeah, that might work…”_

It was raining when Ren finally found the right train and left the station. Ren groaned and hid under an overhang. He pulled out his phone and sighed. _“It’s that app again.”_

Makoto glanced at it. The app had expanded to cover the screen. Orpheus Telos stirred. 

That… was interesting. And a little concerning. 

A girl walked up to them. She pulled her hood back. Long blonde hair spilled out. She caught sight of Ren and gave a small smile. 

Ren stared. Openly. _“Wow. She’s so pretty.”_

He smiled internally. “Stop staring.” 

Ren mumbled something unintelligible in his thoughts and turned to face forward again. 

A car pulled up. The window rolled down. A broad-chinned man peered out, eyes on the girl. “Good morning. You want me to give you a ride to school? You’re going to be late.” 

An uneasy smile. “Um, sure, thank you.” 

“Do you need a lift too?” 

Ren gave a wave of his hand. “Nah.” His voice was stiff. 

The girl got in the car, her eyes down. The car pulled away. 

He glanced at Ren. “Something wrong?” 

_“That man gave me a bad feeling, I guess…”_

He raised an eyebrow and gave a hum. Perceptive. Or maybe just paranoid. Either way, it would serve him well, if his hunch was correct… 

Feet slapped against the wet road. A blond slowed to a halt. “Dammit! Screw that pervy teacher.” 

“Pervy teacher…?” 

The blond turned back with a scowl. “You planning on ratting me out to Kamoshida?” 

“Kamoshida?” 

The air buzzed. Makoto snapped to attention. His eyes fell on the phone. The phone with the app open, recording words. 

“He does whatever the hell he wants,” the blond was saying. “Who does he think he is—the king of a castle?” 

The buzzing increased, building in his ears. Orpheus Telos drew closer to the surface. 

“Wait. You don’t know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You’re from Shujin Academy, right?” 

The pressure snapped. A strange energy filled the air, like static electricity. 

Makoto winced and brought a hand to his head. It felt off. _He_ felt off. Different. Changed. And the world, it was—warped…? 

Orpheus nudged him back to awareness. He blinked and shook the spots out of his eyes. 

The other two were shaking their heads. “Ugh,” the blond groaned. “My head hurts…” He walked off.

Ren followed, frowning. _“Do you know anything about that weird headache? I would’ve thought it was just stress, but that boy got it at the same time, and it disappeared a few seconds later… It just seems strange.”_

“I’ve been out of it since he said Shujin,” he admitted. 

_“Wait, really? Are you okay?”_

“Fine.” His head still ached, but that wasn’t important. “Be on guard. Something’s not right.” 

Ren tensed. Cast a glance at the blond. 

The blond reached the end of the alley and startled. “Wha—?” 

A large golden castle loomed ahead. Ominous purple clouds gathered above, casting a red haze. 

“We didn’t… come the wrong way though…” the blond muttered. “What’s going on here? I guess we’ll just have to go and ask.” The blond walked off. 

_“Should we really be going into the creepy castle?”_

“No,” he said flatly. “But he’s already heading in.” 

Ren grimaced and followed the blond in. 

The floor was lined in red velvet with royal red drapes. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. On the far wall was a portrait of… the man in the car…? 

A blink. The world glitched. A glimpse of artificial lights. Another blink, and it was back to the red drapes and castle finery. 

He tensed and dropped into a stance, hand instinctively going to his—Oh. _Oh_. 

“Ask if this is the school,” he hissed. He knew he’d never been here before, but this felt far too familiar. 

“Is this our school?” Ren asked. 

“I mean, it… should be… The sign _was_ for the school, right?” 

Ren gave a small nod. His eyes flitted to the side, hidden by his glasses. “What’s going on here?” 

“I—I don’t know, _I_ want to know!”

A school had turned into a castle… How familiar. It wasn’t a tower of doom, but it could be just as dangerous. And at his waist… 

His sword. His _Evoker_. 

His hackles rose. He sensed—“Get out. Now.”

A knight lumbered towards them. 

The blond startled. “Geez, you freaked me out!” He took a step forward. “Who’re you, you a student?” 

Ren grimaced and shook his head. Tugged on the blond’s sleeve. “We should go.” 

“Huh? But—” The blond turned. Frowned. “Yeah, okay.” 

They ran, but two more knights blocked them off. They backed away. 

“...This shit’s _real_ ,” the blond breathed. 

A knight thrust its shield. 

The blond slammed into the ground. 

Makoto drew his Evoker. _Orpheus—_

A harsh throb. He doubled over, gripping his head. 

The blond crawled to his feet. “Dammit, you’re gonna break my bones!” he snapped. “The hell do you think—” 

The knight struck him. He crumbled and didn’t move. 

Ren crouched over the blond, teeth bared. 

The knight batted him away. Another loomed over him. Raised its shield. Smashed it over his head. 

Ren dropped. 

His grip tightened. **_Orpheus_** _—!_

_Thou cannot._

A sharp hiss escaped him. He squeezed his eyes shut, grappled with the pain. A hammer beat beneath his eyes. His head was throbbing. Like a saw driven through flesh. Nerves seared and fried. Hands twisting and tearing. Like that time with Thanatos bursting out of him. Only there was no Thanatos to burst out this time. Because he was gone. Because there was nothing. Nothing but emptiness where his Personas used to be. 

_Focus!_

He gasped. He was curled up, hair fisted in his hands. His Evoker was on the ground. He picked it up and straightened. 

Ren and the blond were still on the ground. The knights still surrounded them. 

He swallowed. _Orpheus…?_

_Thou was not out long. Only a moment._

He exhaled. Pressed his palms to his eyes. His head still felt raw. Frayed. _What happened?_

_Thou cannot interfere. Thou dost not have a strong enough presence to affect this world. Not without consequences._

He frowned. It made sense. Just entering this world gave him a headache. Of course trying to summon would feel like a blow from Akihiko. Worse, even. But those two… 

Orpheus’ voice gentled. _Thou need not fear their deaths. They still have a journey yet to be taken, much like thee._

“Take them away!” a knight ordered. Two other knights slung their bodies over their shoulders and marched off. 

He trailed after them. _Orpheus… Thanks._ He would’ve done something reckless if it weren’t for him. 

_I am thou, and thou art I. It is lucky that thou art equally stupid and sensible._

His lip curved up. _It’s good to hear from you again._

They came to a dungeon cell. Dark, dirty, dilapidated. The knights tossed Ren and the blond in, locked the door, and left. 

He floated through the bars and checked on them. The blond was stirring, but Ren… 

He tentatively pressed a hand to his shoulder. It phased through. He sighed. He should’ve expected that. He settled in to wait. 

Some time later—hours, maybe—the blond sat up, groaning. His eyes landed on Ren. He rushed over. “Hey. Hey, wake up!” 

A pause. Long. Tight. Then, Ren stirred. Dragged himself upright. Cupped his head in his hands. He was silent, his mouth set in a stiff line.

Makoto kept quiet. He didn’t think it’d be a good idea to speak. 

“You alright?” the blond asked, much quieter. 

Ren nodded. Raised his head. “You?” 

The blond rolled his shoulder. “Yeah, more or less.” He turned to the bars. “Looks like this really ain’t no dream… What’s going on?” 

A tortured scream split the air. 

Though it was garbled, unease rippled through his body. He should’ve thought about whether others were here. If this was like how Apathy Syndrome was… 

More screams. A muffled plea. Retching. 

“Whoa,” the blond hissed. “Whoa, whoa, whoa—” His voice pitched higher. “Isn’t there some way out of here? Come on, we gotta do something!” 

A man strutted up to them, escorted by knights. King’s robes. Naked legs. A broad chin. The man in the car—Kamoshida. But his eyes were _yellow_. 

He’d only ever seen yellow eyes on Elizabeth, his Velvet Room Attendant. But these were… darker, somehow. Tainted. Dirtied. _Wrong_. Liz’s eyes were still unnatural, but not like this. Liz’s eyes were bright, pure, and these… weren’t. 

These were only a shadow. A _Shadow’s_.

The man cast a glance over them. “I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it was you, Sakamoto. It looks like you haven’t learned your lesson at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, you committed the crime of insulting me—the _king_.” A slimy smirk. “The punishment for that is death.” 

His grip tightened on his Evoker. _Orpheus…_

_Thou cannot interfere._

“It’s time for an execution!” 

The knights stormed into the cell, forcing Ren to the side and the blond against the wall. 

The blond sucked in a breath. “Goddammit…” A running charge, and he smashed into the knight. The knight toppled. He turned to Ren. “C’mon, we’re out of here!”

Another knight marched to him. He tried to back away, but the knight slugged him in the gut. A pained cry, and he dropped to his knees. 

Ren seized the knight and tried to drag it away. The knight didn’t even budge. 

“Just go!” the blond yelled. “Get out of here!”

The man chuckled. Cocked his head at Ren. “Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are.” 

“He ain’t a friend,” the blond gritted out. 

Ren flinched. 

“C’mon, hurry up and go!” 

The man scoffed. “Pathetic scum isn’t worth my time. I’ll focus on this one’s execution instead.” 

The knights dragged the blond upright. 

A wicked grin distorted the man’s face. He slammed a fist into the blond. Jabbed another in his gut. And again. And again. 

“Stop it!” Ren snapped. 

The man rounded on him. “Don’t you dare tell me what to do,” he snarled. “That look in your eyes irritates me!” 

He shoved a leg at him. Ren staggered back. Two guards pinned him to the wall. 

“Hold him there,” the man ordered. “After the peasant”—he turned to the blond—“it’s his turn to die.” 

His grip went white. _Orpheus._

_Thou cannot._

_I know_ , he nearly snapped. His heart was a live wire, hissing and sparking. _But I can’t sit back and watch them—watch this happen!_

_Wait._

A glittering blue butterfly. 

Wait? How was he supposed to wait? These two were about to face death, they were about to _die_ — 

_“It wasn’t. A mistake.”_

He stopped. 

The butterfly drifted past Ren. Ren’s eyes hardened. “That’s enough!”

Oh. Of course. 

Kamoshida turned on him. “You desire to be killed that much? Fine!” 

A guard smashed his shield into Ren’s head, knocking the glasses off his face. 

A gust of power, howling and whistling. One that made even him step back. Then, for a moment, a silent stillness. 

A mask sat on Ren’s face. His fingers fumbled around the edge. He grasped it. Peeled it off. Blood poured down his cheeks, dripping like thick tears. He looked up, and his eyes blazed yellow. 

Blue flames burst around him. A deep voice laughed. The flames rose, forming into a red, gentlemanly figure with wings and chains. A Persona. 

“I am the pillager of twilight— **Arsene**!” 

With a flourish, the guards were blasted back. A wicked grin spread on Ren’s face. He wore a long black coat, red gloves, and pointed boots—not his uniform. 

“Guards!” the man roared. 

They stood, creaking and with puppet-like motion. 

“Start by killing that one!” 

The knights burst open. Two Shadows rose. But their form… 

_Orpheus. These are Shadows._ He didn’t doubt that. The energy they gave off was… too familiar. _So why do they look like Personas?_

Pyro Jack, specifically. Weak against Ice, if he remembered right. But Ren’s Persona… wasn’t Ice. 

Ren took a battle stance, a blade in hand. 

These Shadows were weak. But even weak Shadows could hurt. And Ren had only just awakened. 

His lips thinned. Since he didn’t know what Ren could do… _“Listen to your Persona.”_

Surprise flickered in Ren’s eyes. _“My what?”_

 _“Arsene,”_ he clarified. 

A blink. A pause. Ren’s expression hardened. No, he was _glaring_. “There!”

His Persona flared its wings, stretched out a claw. A burst of scarlet, and the Pyro Jack reeled back. 

It felt like… Dark. Maybe. Almost, but not quite. 

Things were different. Of course they were. It had been years… 

The Pyro Jack crashed into Ren. He stumbled back. Retaliated with a wide swing. The Pyro Jack disintegrated. 

He let out a breath. Focus. 

The other advanced, gearing up for a swing. 

“Jump back,” he ordered. 

Ren startled and did so. The Pyro Jack swung its lantern through empty air, spinning with the force. Ren took the chance to tear a gash in its face. It howled. 

Ren glared. Another burst of power, and this one disintegrated too. He flexed a hand, staring down at himself. _“That was…”_

The man snarled. 

Ren tensed and stared him down. 

The man stalked up to him. “You little—”

The blond rammed into the man, knocking him aside. “You like that?” he shouted, eyes wide. 

“The key!” Ren yelled. 

The blond swiped the keys off the ground. The two rushed out of the cell. A clang, and the cell was locked. 

The man shook the bars, spitting curses. 

The blond took a few steps back. Turned to Ren. “Hey, what was that just now? And your clothes…!” 

Ren shifted on one foot and shoved his hands in his pockets. A flash of blue fire, and the outfit disappeared. 

His brow furrowed. He’d never had an outfit. But Ren got his when he awakened. So it probably wasn’t normal for it to disappear… 

“Anyways, let’s scram!” the blond said. 

The two darted off, the blond chucking the keys into a nearby stream. Only torches lit their path. Cells lined the walls. They jumped the stream, crawled through a hole, crossed a drawbridge. Clanking echoed nearby. They ducked behind some crates. 

_“Hey, are you still there?”_

He mumbled an agreement. 

Ren frowned. _“Why didn’t you say anything earlier? You know, when Kamoshida was… Well, with that whole situation.”_

 _“I… didn’t think about it.”_ He hadn’t. Not until Ren found himself in battle. A situation he was very familiar with—and familiar with speaking in. _“It wouldn’t have helped. I can’t interfere.”_

 _“Can’t or won’t?”_ Ren challenged. 

_“Can’t.”_ He huffed. _“I tried, when you first got captured. It… didn’t go well.”_ He’d nearly died. Again. He couldn’t recklessly throw away his… ghost-life like that. Or else everyone would… 

_“If you can’t physically interfere, then can you scout ahead? Make sure we don’t run into anything else.”_

_“Sure.”_ The clanking had faded. The Shadows were gone. _“I think you can move now.”_

Ren gestured for the blond to stand, and they were off again. Up a staircase, through a door. He floated ahead. More cells. Some held a student inside, collapsed. The cell at the end held a… small, black cat… thing. Cute, but… 

It had large, vivid, supernatural blue eyes. The same as Ryoji’s. As Pharos’. 

He drew a sharp breath. Was this… a Shadow? 

The… creature waved Ren and the blond over. “Hey, you guys aren’t soldiers, right? Get me out of here!” 

“Why should we?” the blond shot back. “We’re trying to get the hell out of here, and you obviously look like an enemy too!” 

“You want to know where the exit is? Let me out, and I’ll take you there.” 

_“What do you think?”_ Ren asked. _“Do you think it’s dangerous?”_

“Seems friendly,” he said, careful to keep his voice steady. “Choose fast though.” The knights were still around. 

Ren narrowed his eyes at the creature. “You better not be lying.” He grabbed the keys and unlocked the door. The creature hopped out with a cheer. 

The blond glared. “Now where’s the exit, you monster cat?” 

“Don’t call me a cat! I am Morgana!” It… He? Morgana led them to a raised drawbridge and gestured at a stone head of the man. “Try checking around the mouth of this statue.” 

The jaw was shaped oddly. Ren pulled down on it. A clank, and the bridge lowered. 

“Like a video game…” Ren muttered. 

“How were we supposed to know to do that?” the blond demanded. 

“Amateurs,” Morgana scoffed. “Come on, this way!” 

Makoto was forced to follow behind. They rounded the corner. A knight walked in on them. 

The blond shouted and scrambled back. Ren tensed. A flare of blue, and he was in his other outfit. 

The knight burst into two Shadows again—Pyro Jack and Incubus. 

Morgana hopped over the blond. “Come, **Zorro**!” 

A dark, bulky figure with a rapier burst from Morgana. 

His eyes widened. He could summon a Persona. Shadows couldn’t summon Personas, could they? But those _eyes_ … 

Morgana drew a curved sword. “Damn Shadows… they’re serious about killing us, so fight like your life depends on it!” 

Ren flung a blast of energy. The Incubus faltered but swiped at Ren. 

Morgana watched with those blue eyes. Scoffed. “I knew you were an amateur. _This_ is how you fight!” 

A blast of green—Garu—knocked down the Pyro Jack. Morgana plunged the sword through it, and it disintegrated. 

He raised an eyebrow. That was a weakness? He didn’t remember Pyro Jack being weak to Wind… And didn’t Incubus block Dark…? 

“Strike an enemy’s weakness to knock them down, and use that opening to strike again. That is the most basic of basics!” 

The two finished off the last Shadow. 

Morgana turned to Ren, those blue eyes on him again. “Not bad. Your Persona’s pretty powerful.” 

“You mean that thing that comes out of you all dramatic like?” the blond asked. 

“Yes. You saw how Frizzy Hair ripped off his mask, right? Well, everyone wears a mask deep within their hearts. By removing that—” 

A burst of blue, and Ren’s outfit disappeared again. 

Morgana tilted his head. “It looks like you don’t have full control over your power yet. The transformation shouldn’t normally disappear like that.”

So he was right. But… something seemed off. Personas were… what had Igor said… a mask that protected him from hardship. Ren’s mask literally turned into his Persona, but… Morgana implied that summoning needed that mask taken off…? 

It had been years. Things changed. Still… 

Morgana led them onward. The blond paused by a prisoner in a red and white uniform he seemed to recognize. They got caught by and defeated two Pixies, and they finally reached a vent, which they used to exit. 

Morgana stayed behind. Those blue eyes lingered. “Those two seem useful,” he muttered. “Especially the frizzy-haired one, if my judgement’s right…” 

Those eyes were the same. That blue was the exact same shade. He knew. Ryoji—before that, Pharos—he had known better than himself, than anyone else. He _knew_ those eyes. And yet… 

He couldn’t read them at all. Not like Ryoji’s. 

He could easily see what Ryoji meant, how he felt, through his eyes. Those eyes shone with every emotion, every thought, every passing whim. When happy, his eyes would light up. When sad, they gleamed with suppressed tears. When afraid, they turned bright and pale. He could see it all. 

Despite having the same eyes, Morgana was completely blank to him. 

It was… unnerving. At least Morgana didn’t seem like an intentional threat. But whether he was an _unwitting_ one… like Ryoji had ended up… 

He went after Ren, floating through the wall. The world warped again. He held back a wince. 

Two officers were questioning Ren and the blond. The blond was trying to insist that the castle was real. With no success. 

_“...I’m back,”_ he announced, a little awkwardly. 

Ren’s eyes flickered beneath his glasses. _“They’re not going to believe us, are they.”_

_“No.”_

Ren turned on his heel and left. 

They were met by the man at the school gate. The blond caught up, glared at the man, and stormed past. 

The man shook his head and surveyed Ren. “Have we met somewhere?”

 _“Don’t say anything about the castle,”_ Makoto warned. _“That man likely isn’t aware.”_

“I saw a girl in your car,” Ren offered. 

“I remember now…” The man scowled at him. “At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I’m sure Ms. Kawakami’s tired of waiting by now. Cause any trouble and you’ll be expelled, understood?” He turned and threw a parting grin. “Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life.” 

He didn’t like that voice. Nor the look in his eye. 

Once the man walked away, Ren exhaled. _“How do_ you _know about all that crazy stuff? Morgana, I get, because he’s some sort of weird, supernatural…_ thing _, but…”_

_“Not now. You still have school.”_

Ren narrowed his eyes. _“You_ will _explain, though?”_

 _“I will.”_ They had a lot to talk about. The Shadows. Morgana. Ren’s Awakening. 

_Ren had been about to die._

He exhaled. Forced his hands to unclench. But still, his breath trembled, and his pulse beat, beat, beat. 

He was…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took ages but it's finally done!  
> Wow that Yu and Goro scene was hard to write. It also dragged on surprisingly long when all I had intended to do was have Goro learn of Yu’s existence and then have them establish a Social Link/Confidant…  
> Also, Goro is hard to write ;w; There are… so many takes on his personality and it’s been a struggle deciding what kind of balance to strike and just how I want to write him. Right now I think the angle is terrifyingly competent, analytical, and calculating (but…?). We'll see how that changes later :3  
> I’m also still trying to get a handle on Makoto’s voice. (Well, both his and Yu’s voices but—) I feel he’s the type to use as little words as possible (or just, you know, not talk), but it’s hard because I have so much to say with his perspective haha. I can’t wait until he can actually be seen and break out some very pointed body language >:D  
> The next chapter'll probably take even longer because I barely have any of it written yet as of writing this note hahahaha aaaaa (Also college apps, but we don't talk about college apps)  
> Thank you all for being patient ;w; I'll try to, you know, actually finish but we'll see how it goes XD
> 
> Edit 12/18/2020: Finally bit the bullet and changed the tense of a certain line so it's more clear ^^;


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